Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: explore2014September03

One of the roads within Waterton Lakes National Park ends at Cameron Lake. We did several drives along the various roads - this photo was taken on 27 August 2014, our second day in the park. "At an elevation of 1646 meters (5400 ft) this picturesque alpine lake offers the pristine beauty of a remote mountain environment and is only a short drive from the Waterton Village. Getting to Cameron Lake is almost as beautiful as being there. Drive 16 km (10 miles) along the Akamina Parkway, which is clearly marked just outside the village. Twists and turns in the road will reveal numerous rustic picnic areas. You will also drive past Oil City - Western Canada's first oil well. This is a National Historic site. At the end of this short journey, you will feast your eyes on the stunningly beautiful views of Cameron Lake. Enjoy a picnic on the shores of this aquamarine wonder, explore the easy hiking trails that skirt the lake or rent a boat or a kayak for an even closer experience." From MyWaterton. www.mywaterton.ca/CameronLake.cfm

The motel at which friends Cathy and Terry, and I, stayed for two nights had a couple of BBQs at the end of the parking lot, which we made use of both evenings. The first evening, Terry cleaned off the BBQ after we saw this Mule Deer licking the BBQ and the utensils for a long time : )

This was a very quick, distant photo and poor quality, unfortunately. Friends Cathy, Terry, and I, watched this Cinnamon Black Bear and a black Black Bear that was in the same bushes, for quite some time. These bushes were right at the edge of a pedestrian/bike pathway on one side, and the other side of the bushes was at the lake shore. This was just one quick glance in our direction - the rest of the time they were hidden or almost hidden by the berry-laden branches. "The cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus cinnamomum) is a color phase of the American black bear, native to Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, Alberta, and British Columbia. The most striking difference between a cinnamon bear and any other black bear is its brown or red-brown fur, reminiscent of cinnamon, from which the name is derived. Cubs weigh approximately 230 grams (8 oz) at birth, with adults weighing between 92.1 and 270 kilograms (203 and 595 lb). The life span for this bear is a maximum of 30 years. Cinnamon bears are excellent climbers, good runners, and powerful swimmers. They are mostly nocturnal, though sometimes active during daylight hours. The cinnamon and brown bears of this country are simply color phases of the black bear, the blondes and brunettes of the family. The various colors are frequently intermixed in the same family; hence it is a common occurrence to see a black bear female with brown cubs, a brown and a black cub, or even all three colors. The bears hibernate during the winter months, usually from late October or November to March or April depending upon the weather conditions. Their scat resembles that of domestic dogs." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_bear